


Consort Communication

by Nonesane



Category: Books of the Raksura - Martha Wells
Genre: Gen, Jealousy, Post-Canon, Raksura Politics, Slice of Life, Tea
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-16
Updated: 2020-12-16
Packaged: 2021-03-11 02:22:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,438
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28117635
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nonesane/pseuds/Nonesane
Summary: Shade is visiting the court of Indigo Cloud. It's not a social visit. Well, not really. It's a bit complicated and a bit unusual.
Relationships: Minor or Background Relationship(s)
Comments: 10
Kudos: 50
Collections: Yuletide 2020





	Consort Communication

**Author's Note:**

  * For [damnedscribblingwoman](https://archiveofourown.org/users/damnedscribblingwoman/gifts).



Stone stretched and resisted the urge to send a glare over his shoulder. The air outside the consort quarters held the freshness of morning, the oncoming warmth of the sun inviting to flight. He could take wing and spend the day sunning himself in peace far from Indigo Cloud's mountain-thorn. He _could_. Being a line-grandfather had its advantages.  
  
It also came with obligations. At least obligations Stone gave himself.  
  
"Would either of you like some tea?"  
  
Stone stifled a groan. Ember thought tea the answer to all of life's awkward situations.  
  
Since no verbal replies came to the question, Stone gave in and turned to look. Ember, Shade and Moon had taken seats on furs in the middle of the floor, on Moon's initiative; practical as ever. It left a lot of space around them, showing off the relative emptiness of the hall, though also displaying all its decorations, both old and the new ones Indigo Cloud's more ambitious teachers had negotiated into place since the court's return to the Reaches. It left a lot of room for the accompanying Arbora to stand around. Moon had even offered them seats. The visiting Arbora had managed to refuse this offer without looking too insulted.  
  
It would have been amusing if not for the tense atmosphere the visitors had brought with them.  
  
Ember had begun pouring tea for himself and Shade, ignoring the staring contest Moon had started with one of the Arbora from Opal Night. Stone caught a glimpse of Balm, lurking in the passage outside the consort quarters, her attention split between the awkward gathering inside and the Opal Night warriors who'd taken up station alongside her and hers.  
  
A small mercy that the queens had their hands full negotiating what would come next. No matter how amusing queens could be when they postured, the last thing this situation needed was an _incident_.  
  
Though at least three of the visiting Arbora seemed to have one in mind regardless.  
  
"Lithe, didn't you say you wanted to see that new remedy the mentors here wrote you about?" Shade asked in a valiant attempt to break the tension.  
  
Lithe picked up this intension with practiced swiftness. "Yes! I would like-"  
  
"That can wait," the Arbora to Lithe's left-hand side said, in a tone that told everyone present exactly what he thought the work of Indigo Cloud's mentors worth. Stone hadn't bothered to remember his name, only how annoying he was, like a seed caught between one's teeth. "We're not here for that."  
  
No difficulties to pinpoint which of the Arbora belonged to Onyx' faction. You had to be part of a big, powerful and competitive court to be so obviously rude when not on your home territory. Idiot.  
  
"I don't see why Lithe can't go to the mentors now if she wishes to."  
  
"We're supposed to keep an eye on you." As if Shade was a flight risk.  
  
Moon hissed. Ember flinched. Stone had had enough.  
  
"Out."  
  
The idiot Arbora who couldn't keep his mouth shut had the guts to bristle at the order. "Your reigning queen invited us to stay here."  
  
"And now I'm uninviting you. Out."  
  
Lithe took the lead out of the hall, showing her quick thinking and wisdom in not joining in the others' prideful posturing. Arbora weren't as prone to physical fights as Aeriat, but arguments weren't exactly uncommon and Stone had no patience for that right now (or ever, really). He watched the rest of the Opal Night Arbora hesitate, but Blossom, Gold and Braid quickly followed Lithe's lead and with them out of the consort hall the other Arbora couldn't remain without stirring up truly bad tempers.  
  
The warriors went with the Arbora. Likely not far, but far enough to let all spines lower and all bared fangs be brushed aside. Good.  
  
Moon let out a long sigh of a breath. "So…more tea?"  
  
Stone turned back to the balcony to hide his smile. Count on Moon to be utterly clueless as to why he should be on edge but ready for it all the same. Finally a step away from frustration and towards entertainment.  
  
"I'll see about making some more." Ember had a smile in his voice, if a shaky one.  
  
With a chuckle, Stone shifted and flew down to the nearest garden platform, out of sight but close enough to listen in. He still had plenty of time to catch the sun.  


* * *

  
Ember had meant to be understanding. He really, truly had. Indigo Cloud had never been what one could call an ordinary court. His own visits to Emerald Twilight as a taken consort had seemed strangely formal in comparison to the ease with which his new court interacted. It had reminded him how competitive he'd grown up to assume all Raksura to be.  
  
He'd not wished to bring any of that to his new home, and yet…  
  
Maybe it was this unusual situation, throwing him off. Bringing a consort long past fledgling age to another court without plans for a mating alliance wasn't unheard of, but it wasn't 'proper', as much as he hated to use that word. Shade being Moon's half-clutch brother it made sense for him to visit Indigo Cloud, especially when in the company of his birthqueen. If Malachite had been in attendance this would have been downright normal. But she wasn't and Shade wasn't there to visit Moon or to see Moon's first clutch - that visit had already happened, moons ago. He was here to hide.  
  
Ember found himself outside the nurseries and felt quite the fool for it.  
  
It wasn't the situation. He could blame it all he liked, but inter-court politics he could deal with in his sleep, stress or no stress. Indigo Cloud was the perfect place for hands-on learning when it came to dealing with unusual circumstances. No, his unease came from a very difference source.  
  
Ember didn't lurk. He refused to lurk. He forced himself to continue down the stairs and outside, moving to the garden platforms.  
  
Shade and Moon had been in the nurseries since sunrise. No chaperons, just the two of them, playing with the royal clutch. Moon's clutch.  
  
Solace, Sapphire, Fern, Cloud and Rain all had grown since Shade's last visit, but they were still young, and they were still the court's first royal clutch in far too long. Not just any visitor should be allowed near them without serious supervision. Ember himself hadn't dared enter the nurseries without Moon or Stone present. He hadn't been forbidden to, but…  
  
"You're being ridiculous," he told himself once he'd reached the rare privacy of an unoccupied platform. Most of the Arbora had chosen work inside the mountain-thorn after gossip of the previous day's display of mild hostility from Onyx' part of the delegation. Ember had spent most of the previous night convincing Pearl not to enact revenge on their visitors for the disrespect shown to their hospitality. He'd woken up bleary and with a headache that he didn't want to bother the mentors with.  
  
Foolish of Onyx to send Lazurite to represent her. The sister queen had barely earned her standing in court yet and all the Arbora in the delegation had years on her; she had little chance at controlling the actions and words of those sent with her. Foolish, or a bold strategy.  
  
Ember took a seat on an artistically arranged rock and let himself get distracted with trying to figure out Onyx' motives. It gave him a moment's peace.  
  
"Awwww, Ember is here."  
  
The clear disappointment in Thorn's voice stung. Ember did his best to hide a wince. He thankfully had a talent for that.  
  
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Thorn dig at the ground with his clawed foot, wings drooping. "Moon said we could go outside and play. There won't be any tea lessons, will there?"  
  
Ember turned to take in the Sky Copper trio, all of them eyeing him warily. "No," he answered, managing to keep his words light and carefree, "no tea lessons today. I was just about to go back inside."  
  
The fledglings had the decency to look shamefaced as Ember made his way past them. He managed a smile for them and carefully picked a way back inside that meant he didn't have to cross paths with Moon and Shade, whose voices had begun to echo down the closest staircase.  
  
Ember hurried off before they could spot him. Or rather, before he could spot them. There was an ease between them that he couldn't bear to observe, not right then.  
  
He spotted Stone resting on a platform three levels higher up. He looked to be asleep, but Ember had learned better. Was Stone keeping track of Shade? Keeping an eye out for Opal Night visitors sneaking away from their hosts?  
  
With a sigh, Ember made his back inside the mountain-thorn. He had long since given up on trying to fully understand Indigo Cloud's line-grandfather.  


* * *

  
Moon found a moment to hide in Jade's bower by the end of the second day of Opal Night's visit. He wouldn't have admitted out loud he was hiding, but he couldn't find the energy to lie to himself about it.  
  
As usual in Indigo Cloud, he only managed to stay hidden for so long.  
  
"There you are."  
  
"Not now Chime."  
  
"Jade has been looking for you." Which meant she knew where he was and had sent Chime to talk to him. Wonderful.  
  
Chime shifted to groundling form and sat down next to Moon, cuddling up to him. "What happened?"  
  
Sighing heavily, Moon stared up at the ceiling, tracing the carvings of hunting Aeriat with his eyes. "I said something wrong to Shade." You'd think with turns in Indigo Cloud behind him, he'd get better at being Raksura, but no such luck.  
  
"Do you know what?"  
  
Chime knew him far too well. "No." He put an arm over his face, letting pressure and darkness replace actual hiding. "We were just talking."  
  
"About?"  
  
"The fledglings. Lithe. Opal Night. Why he's here."  
  
"Ah."  
  
Moon growled, frustrated with himself more than with Chime's knowing, wordless comment. "Is he all right?"  
  
Shade hadn't exactly run away from him, but he'd excused himself back to the consort hall the way people did when they wanted to be alone. Moon knew that feeling very well and he knew it best to stay away. Shade would come talk to him when he was ready. If he hadn't said anything too unforgivable. Whatever it was he'd said wrong.  
  
Chime gave a gentle, comforting bite to Moon's shoulder. "Ember went to talk to him."  
  
"Really?"  
  
"Ember is good at talking."  
  
That Moon wouldn't argue, but that wasn't the problem. "Ember has been avoiding Shade since he arrived."  
  
"I think he's wanted to give the two of you time to yourselves."  
  
Moon started. That actually sounded plausible. "I guess."  
  
"It'll be all right," Chime said, tone only a little uncertain. "I'm sure Ember can fix it."  
  
Moon sighed again, though this time in relief. "If anyone can, he can. I just wish I knew what I'd said wrong."  
  
"Ember will find out."  
  
And then Ember would let Moon know, in the gentlest of ways, how he could make amends. Slowly, little by little, Moon's shoulders began to lower from the nests they'd made against his ears. "You're right. Ember will sort this out."  
  
Chime hummed agreement. "Should I go get Jade now?"  
  
Moon nodded. "Do that. I'll be here." At Chime's doubtful look, he huffed and added, "I promise."  


* * *

  
Shade cursed himself as quietly as he could and curled up even tighter in the corner of his temporary bower. He'd managed to fight back tears, at least. Small victories.  
  
Steps entered the consort quarters, light but not trying to keep unheard. A soft alarm for him to pick up on, should he decide to stay hidden. Shade didn't need long to decide. Avoiding Moon further would only lead to more hurt feelings. "I'm in here."  
  
To his surprise, Ember entered the bower.  
  
All Shade could do was stare, fairly rudely. Ember didn't say anything, only sat down and presented him with a bowl of well-prepared food. He must have missed the shared evening meal, which his grumbling stomach underlined.  
  
Shade took the bowl with a grateful nod. Ember watched him eat without staring, simply waiting in patient silence.  
  
"Thank you," Shade managed, bowl neatly cleaned of food.  
  
Ember nodded, serene and composed, the picture perfect consort. "Would you like to talk?"  
  
He did. Ember's calm had a lure to it - not insidious, just inviting. Not in the way a queen radiated protection, nor the way an elder Arbora or line-grandfather could reassure you with their presence alone, but it encouraged unburdening.  
  
Shade wrung his hands, searching for the right words. He wished to find a good way to lead up to what had been said, to wrap what had happened in fine words that would explain how complicated it actually was, no matter how simple it would sound when spoken out loud. Despite his efforts, he ended up blurting out, "Moon said he's sure Consolation won't try to steal me."  
  
The only reaction from Ember was a faint widening of his eyes and a soft: "Oh."  
  
"You know Moon." Ember probably knew Moon far better than he did, half-clutch brothers or no. Still, he hurried to add, "He didn't mean it like that."  
  
"That doesn't mean words can't hurt, however unintentionally cruel."  
  
Understanding and no blame. Until that moment, Shade hadn't realized that was exactly what he needed. He rubbed at his eyes, forcing back the tears still threatening to spill. "I should be used to it." It had never been kept from him and people with the goal of upsetting him had spoken to him in far meaner ways, if not so bluntly. It wasn't even as if he'd never been stolen before! "You'd think I'd be, by now."  
  
"It's always worse to hear such things from those one cares about."  
  
Shade nodded. His eyes, amazingly, remained dry. Ember's calm had him enveloped in soft gentleness.  
  
"I'm sure what Moon meant to say is he's sure Consolation has no intention of stealing any consort, you or otherwise."  
  
Shade found himself smiling awkwardly. He'd known that. Of course he'd known that. That knowledge had just been skipped over by Moon's wording. It had hit him in the gut and bolting had been the only option, because Moon hadn't meant it and didn't deserve to see what he'd accidentally done; especially as it wouldn't have hurt if Shade hadn't been so stressed to begin with, if this had been a normal visit, if Onyx' hadn't insisted on sending Lazurite alongside Celadon, if, if, if.  
  
"Do you…?"  
  
The question came so gently and kindly, and Ember didn't need to finish it for Shade to understand what he meant to say. "I can't want a queen. So I've decided not to think on it."  
  
Ember hummed in understanding. No more questions, no comments. Just acceptance.  
  
"You're just as kind as Moon says you are."  
  
That got a slight start from Ember. "He's spoken of me?"  
  
Shade blinked a few times, taken aback by the uncertainty in Ember's voice. But should he really be astonished that Moon had trouble communicating with people other than him? Ember gave the impression of being insightful but he surely couldn't read thoughts. And…Ember _had_ been avoiding them. He had. Shade couldn't pretend he hadn't noticed. Had Ember been avoiding him? Moon? Their combined company?  
  
There were a number of things Shade wanted to say right then. He wanted to tell Ember how impressive he was, how he embodied the ideal of a consort, how Shade envied his everything but didn't hate him for it. He didn't. Putting words to it would make it clumsy and fawning. He got the impression that Ember understood him through a shared look alone, at least understood him enough to share a smile with him as well.  
  
Ember cleared his throat. "Malachite has sent word. The negotiations with the half-Fell flight have concluded. You can begin your return home tomorrow."  
  
The grip that had been clenched around Shade's heart, subtle yet ever-present, loosened. Everything had gone well. Everything was back to normal.  
  
"I should go talk to Moon."  
  
"Do you want to go right now?"  
  
Shade hesitated. His eyes had to be red, despite not actually having cried. Moon would immediately be able to tell what he'd been feeling. "Maybe not right away."  
  
"Tea?"  
  
"Yes please." ****

* * *

****

****

  
Moon had been pleasantly surprised to find Shade waiting outside his bower in the consort quarters, ready to share a night's rest together. Whatever he and Ember had talked about, it seemed to have gone well. They'd woken up together and shared a morning meal in comfortable silence.  
  
They took a turn past the nurseries before Shade had to join the others who were leaving. Moon hadn't planned to use the fledglings to distract Shade, but he ended up taking the chance when he got it. He wanted to scout out the greeting hall before Shade went there. After how upset Shade had been the previous evening, Moon would see to it that no nasty comments from Lazurite and her lot came Shade's way, even if he had to glare them all into submission.  
  
He shifted and flew the whole way from the nurseries, his reckless speed fed by gnawing guilt.  
  
The hall had been quickly arranged for the Opal Night visitors' departure, new decorations replacing the ones that had welcomed them not three days ago. The Arbora had kept busy, and still did, Bell having taken center stage in the hall and talking the Opal Night warriors' ears off about where this and that plant had been fetched from. Celadon had an almost spiteful smile on her lips. She gave Moon a nod as he entered the hall and then leaned back to enjoy the show.  
  
Moon hadn't expected Stone to be there. Neither had he expected Stone to clearly be waiting for him.  
  
"Tired of sunning yourself on the garden platforms?" Moon said in way of greeting.  
  
Stone cuffed him across the head. Not hard, but with enough force that Moon could tell there was more than annoyance at a sarcastic comment behind it.  
  
"What was that for?"  
  
"Ember will tell you." Stone sounded both tired and amused. This said, he crossed his arms and leaned back, waiting.  
  
Moon decided to let it go for now. You rarely got anywhere with Stone if you pestered him, unless you pestered him the right way, and Moon didn't have the energy for it.  
  
Before long, everyone who should be in the greeting hall, was. Well, all but Pearl, conspicuous in her absence. Clearly Opal Night's slight hadn't been forgiven yet.  
  
Ember entered with Shade, the last to join the gathering crowd. While the queens and the warriors began the farewell ritual, Jade nudged Moon towards his fellow consorts and Moon went willingly.  
  
Shade clasped hands with Ember. "Thank you, again."  
  
"No thanks are needed."  
  
Moon frowned, but accepted they'd let him in on their meaning if they wished to.  
  
Shade pulled Moon into a tight hug. With his lips to Moon's ear, he whispered, "You should take Ember to play with the fledglings. Just play. No tea lessons."  
  
Moon blinked down at him. Before he could ask for an explanation, Shade pulled away and joined Celadon by the mountain-thorn's entrance. The rest of the farewell ceremony continued in what Moon had come to know as normal fashion and before long the Opal Night visitors had left.  
  
Moon took note of how Stone wandered to stand between him, Ember, and the rest of the greeting hall's remaining occupants. Stone didn't say anything, simply took on his shifted form and lay down to rest, creating a clear barrier that even Jade silently respected. Moon got the message loud and clear, for once.  
  
"So…"  
  
"Yes, I do believe we need to talk," Ember said. He sounded caught between confidence and nerves. "Shall we?"  
  
Moon nodded, very much out of the loop. "Lead the way."  
  
He had no idea what the look Stone sent him meant, as he and Ember left the greeting hall. It could be pleased or amused. Moon answered it with a roll of his eyes. He'd figure this out. Eventually.  
  
…or maybe, depending on how his talk with Ember went, he'd ask Chime to explain. All of it. That'd probably be for the best.  
  
"Are we having tea?"  
  
That actually got a laugh out of Ember. "Only if you want to."


End file.
